Tabla de contenidos para September - October 2022 en Australian Flying

An interim report this week into the participation levels of women in aviation has concluded that aviation is a male-dominated industry that is not appealing to women. The Barriers to the Pipeline interim report was compiled after Women in Aviation and Aviation/Aerospace Australia surveyed 180 people of which 86% were women. Analysis of the report revealed that 80% of respondents agreed that the male domination of the industry was itself a barrier to more women considering a career in aviation, with 70% concerned about abuse and discrimination. Only about 6% of people in aviation in Australia are female. “Though progress has been made regarding women’s perception of the aerospace sector, the overall picture is of an industry still hostile to women,” the report concludes. “Most survey respondents indicate that the existing…

Know what you want in aviation and never give up, no matter how tough the challenges, until you get it. That’s what pilots, at all levels, are told. You need to ride out the waves. And waves there will be: big, small, and freak. Tracy Bolt, the new owner of Merimbula Air Services and the associated flying school, is proof of the point. Originally from Cooma in NSW, she learned to fly in the early '80s, at the Aviation Academy in Cunderdin, WA, on Victor Airtourers VH-CND and VH-CNO. She later completed her CPL and instructor rating at Jandakot, before teaching at Paraburdoo airport in the far northwest, Pilbara mining region. Bolt says it was tough, hard, hot, and by necessity, due to the frequent 40 degree plus heat, mostly…

Naming a new model of aircraft is a difficult task. Ideally, the name has to be unique. It has to be inoffensive in different languages and cultures, and it has to be marketable. It has to set an image. Many manufacturers choose a pattern or sequence; others use naming methods that defy explanation. The result ranges from perfection (Concorde) to weird (Virus). Some aircraft names are accidental. The Taylor E-2 prototype was named the Cub because the prototype was powered by a Tiger Kitten engine. Later developments, including the J-2, J-3, J-4, and J-5, kept the Cub name, but not the tiny 20-hp engine of the prototype! The “tiger” part of Tiger Cub was quickly forgotten and the Cub somehow became a Bear Cub. Some aircraft are known by names…

Brisbane pilot supply shop Flightstore has introduced a new premuim passive noise reduction (PNR) headset that has both quality and lightness at its heart. The Stealth FAH 900 was designed to be a cut above the average entry-level headset, but still set at a price that won't suck up too many flying dollars. Manufactured from carbon fibre and aviation-grade components, the FAH 900 has dealt well with the twin desires of looking good and being strong and robust beneath the sheen. Remarkably, the construction means the FAH 900 weighs-in at only 0.255 kg, making it one of the lightest PNR headsets on the market. “the FAH 900 has dealt well with the twin desires of looking good and being strong” Clear audio performance is delivered with a clear noise-canceling electret…

I often get questions about RAAus’ Part 149 certificate. What does it mean? Or why does RAAus need to be Part 149 approved? These are fair questions because a misconception exists where some people think that RAAus doesn’t need to comply with CASA regulations and that we can do whatever we want. In truth, this is actually not the case at all. Civil Aviation Safety Regulation (CASR) Part 149 is about CASA retaining regulatory control of the functions performed by Approved Self-administering Aviation Organisations (ASAOs), of which RAAus is one. The reason for this is that constitutionally, only CASA may apply limitations on Australians in accordance with the Civil Aviation Act 1988. However, CASA may, through legislation, delegate some of its functions. When CASA does this, they must also retain legislative…

Aerial application has been a core contributor to the long and rich history of agricultural aviation in Australia since 1945, when the RAAF was able to use modified Bristol Beaufort aircraft to spray an outbreak of Rutherglen bugs in Northern Victoria. The industry has embraced innovation and experimentation over the 75 years since, resulting in commercial aerial application maturing to what we see today, with strong standards around safety and environmental outcomes. The Aerial Application Association of Australia (AAAA) has been there for most of the journey, with its first meeting held in 1958. Over the remaining decades it has been at the forefront of the evolution of the industry, supporting its growth into a highly-specialised and professional industry. We now have purpose-built aircraft carrying up to 800 gallons of…

THE Department of Infrastructure and Transport has detailed its plans to combat a critical shortage of aviation maintenance engineers in Australia. Speaking at the RotorTech conference in Brisbane in June, First Assistant Secretary International Aviation, Technology and Services Richard Wood said the department was very aware of the problem and was taking steps to address it. “We're acutely aware of the shortage of aircraft maintenance engineers in particular, but also in the pilot sector and other streams,” Wood said. Regional aviation suffers worst for skills shortages “We're looking at the issue from a range of fronts such as aligning training regulatory requirements, looking at financial barriers to training, recognition of prior learning, migration settings and promotion of the industry, as well as broader settings around attracting people to regional Australia.”…

In mid-July, the twice-postponed Brisbane Airshow took flight … finally. The original planned date of 2020 was cancelled and re-planned to 2021 and then 2022 due to the first and second COVID outbreaks, lockdowns and government restrictions. Eventually when everything on the pandemic front seemed to be clearing up, a date in early July 2022 was planned only to see an extremely unseasonable weather event that impacted the entire east coast drop close to 100 mm of rain in just a couple of days, yet again to see the event postponed by one week. Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield is a grass field and all spectator areas are also grass, prompting a decision with three days to go to postpone the show for both spectator safety and that of the flying…

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King announced in July that Australia would soon get a council to focus on developing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). King said that the council would enable Australia to play a part in reducing carbon emissions and drive innovation in SAF development. “We know that industry is looking to sustainable aviation fuels to play a role in emissions reductions and we know the potential for sustainable aviation fuels is significant,” she said. “We also know that governments across the world are working closely with industry to drive new innovations in sustainable fuels and sustainable aviation. “The reality is–particularly in Australia–we love to fly, but we also need to fly. I am sure most of you here, like me, spend more hours…

The story could have been from an Indiana Jones movie script: 1950s Papua New Guinea, fuel starvation, a forced landing into rugged terrain, tribal leaders, cigarettes, rum, and a gun. Oh, and vegetables. At the 2016 Australian Women Pilots’ Association (AWPA) Annual Conference and AGM in Victor Harbor, SA, a quietly-spoken 87-year-old member stood up and told her story. At the end of an extraordinary speech that left the crowd visibly stunned, not a backside remained on a seat. The 180-strong audience rose simultaneously and applauded until their hands were sore. Her story was amazing, utterly amazing. The humble delivery, the ordinary manner in which it had been told, simply served to underscore the great adventure of it all. Which is what you find about AWPA members; seemingly ordinary women…

One of the great joys of flying is the sense of freedom it can provide, yet it is also one of the most regulated activities on the planet. So, we are very fortunate to have the recreational flying side of things, where regulations that govern commercial and passenger carrying activities have been adapted to meet the needs and requirements of those that fly just for the fun of it. Organisations such as Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) exist in order to provide the regulatory framework that allows for not only pilot training, licensing, aircraft operation and maintenance in the under 600 kg and (soon) the under 760-kg categories, but also amateur-built aircraft design and construction. Above 600 kg, the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA) is the main body covering the…

RotorTech, Australia’s rotary aviation industry conference and exhibition, once again broke attendance records, demonstrating the growth within the helicopter and UAV sectors, and the industry’s desire to work its way towards full recovery from COVID restrictions. RotorTech 2022, held at the Royal International Conference Centre in Brisbane 21-23 June, attracted 1980 attendances over the three-day program, eclipsing the 2021 attendance of 1806, which was a record itself. "This is a spectacular result that shows that the helicopter and uncrewed flight industries are both looking positively to the future and are committed to getting on with business," said Justin Giddings, CEO of organiser AMDA Foundation. RotorTech included conference programs of both the Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA) and Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems (AAUS). "Both associations presented compelling, relevant conference programs…

As a young girl in the UK, Kaitlyn Costa accompanied her father to several air shows, where watching the Spitfire displays left a lasting impression. Her father held a PPL and her grandfather had been a refueler in Zimbabwe, so perhaps there was a little aviation in her blood. Nevertheless, it was her own hard work, steadfast commitment and perseverance that lead her to chase her dream across three continents. As a teenager, she returned to South Africa with her family where their home in George in the Western Cape Province was situated below the circuit. The aircraft overhead were a consistent reminder of her earlier dreams of flight and she was driven to obtain her PPL. Today, a little over 10 years later, and with many challenges along the…

CASA’s Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) has recommended no changes to the airspace around Mangalore Airport in a study report released in July. Instead, the report made two minor recommendations around education and updating charts. "The study found that the airspace classification remains appropriate; however, recommendations have been made to enhance the safety of operations within the area, through education, amending aeronautical information and opportunities to enhance situational awareness for all pilots," the report concludes. The two recommendations are that CASA conduct a safety seminar in the area and that ERSA requirements to add 1000 feet to published data for practice approaches needs to be clarified or removed. The OAR report also stated that documents such as the VNC and ERSA needed to be amended and updated to include more…

A review into the airspace around Ballina Byron Gateway airport in northern NSW has recommended controlled airspace (CTA) be established with special access for sport and recreational aircraft. CASA’s Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) released a draft report in June that made nine recommendations, which included establishing a Class D tower. OAR conducted the review of the Ballina-Lismore-Casino airspace after an increase in aircraft movements since 2017 was noted and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau recorded 41 safety occurences from 1 July 2020 to 31 July 2021. Among those occurences were 15 communication issues, five separation issues and one collision with terrain. “Considerable growth in aircraft movements, particularly passenger transport movements is apparent since 2017 in the Ballina airspace,” the OAR report states. “The risk profile has altered during that…

You both arrived at Aviation House in April last year among the promise of reforms. What have been the largest achievements in the first 12 months of your tenure? Pip Spence: I knew what the issues were and the massive amount of change that’s been going on through the organisation, so I’ve been trying to get things to stabilise. Getting past 2 December [implementation of the new Flight Operations regs] was such a huge relief that’s started to give us some fresh air to look at a few other issues. In terms of things that I wanted to do at the start of my term, to be able to do it within 12 months, I got the main things through that I wanted to do. We’ve still got some settling down…

Headbands bent out of shape, microphones that don’t sit and stay anymore, cords cracking from overuse, deformed ear seals that carve small valleys in the side of your head, poor fit that makes them slide around, and just occasionally, falling apart because there’s one or two screws loose. In truth, there is not a lot to recommend a well-worn headset lent to a student by a flying school. There are enough distractions in the cockpit already; the last thing low-time students need is loaner headsets giving them grief. “If you go and buy an expensive headset and then find it slides off your head, you've just wasted your money” It builds a very good case for students investing in their own headset early in their careers, but it comes at…

It’s not enough for pilots to know where they are and where they’re going – it’s also important that they know who or what is in the sky near them. Situational awareness will become increasingly important as we move towards integrated airspace and traditional aircraft share the skies with the latest developments in aviation technology. This is one of the reasons we are such a strong supporter of Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B). ADS-B is an excellent safety tool and advances in recent years have made it increasingly affordable. We see the satellite-based technology as a unique opportunity to improve Australian aviation safety today while providing the groundwork for the airspace of tomorrow. This is a view shared across all Australian aviation agencies including the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional…

This discussion contains extracts from the SACAA’s accident report. It is compiled in the interest of promoting aviation safety and is not to establish legal liability. Aircraft registration: ZS-MXR Date and time of accident: 7 Feb 2002 1615Z Type of aircraft: Cessna P210N Type of operation: Demonstration flight PIC license type: ATPL License valid: Yes PIC age: 64 PIC total hours: 22,680 PIC hours on type: 1793 Last point of departure: Pietersburg (now Polekwane) Next point of intended landing: Vereeniging Location of accident site: 9.4 nm north of Vereeniging Meteorological information: Thunderstorms, strong winds and heavy rain POB: 1+2 People injured: Nil People killed: 1+2 Synopsis On 7 February 2002 at 0526Z the aircraft departed from Lanseria Airport for a flight to Vereenging to uplift two passengers (one of whom…